By Donald H. Harrison
SAN DIEGO — The San Diego City Council unanimously approved plans on Tuesday, Oct. 3, for the Beverly and Joseph Glickman Hillel House to be constructed across the street from the UC San Diego campus and adjacent to a single family neighborhood whose residents were divided on the issue.
The decision came after 2 hours and 45 minutes of testimony and council discussion. City Councilwoman Barbara Bry, who represents the La Jolla community and who also is a member of the Jewish community, made the motion to approve the project subject to two conditions.
The first was that Hillel be precluded from any further development on the property which is located on an undeveloped 6,479-square foot triangle of land formed by the intersections of La Jolla Scenic Way, La Jolla Village Drive and Torrey Pines Road.
The second condition was that a community advisory group including Hillel and neighbors be established for at least five years’ time to discuss any problems of noise, traffic, or parking that might arise.
After some legal discussions and slight amendments in wording, Councilman Scott Sherman seconded the motion, and it was endorsed in turn in comments by Councilmembers Georgette Gomez, Chris Ward, David Alvarez, and Mark Kersey. Three others on the nine-member council, including its president, Myrtle Cole, did not enter the discussion.
The project has been nearly 20 years in the making, from the time the City of San Diego declared the land to be excess property, and issued a request for proposals to purchase the land. Hillel purchased the property for $1 million and at one point won City Council approval for a development nearly twice the size of the current proposal. A court, however, ruled that a more comprehensive environmental impact report was necessary before the project could proceed.
That led to years of negotiations between Hillel and the surrounding neighbors—with various La Jolla planning groups voting against the Hillel project contending it would make the adjoining residential neighborhood too noisy and subject to excess parking and traffic.
Hillel responded by cutting down the size of the project, offering to put in extensive landscaping and to dedicate a portion of the property for park use.
At the hearing, both sides were well represented. As at a previous hearing at the City Planning Commission, opponents took pains to point out that they were not against Hillel, per se, but rather opposed the location of this project. Many of the opponents were faculty members at UC San Diego, and organizers made sure that some of the speakers were Jewish, further emphasizing that they considered this a land use controversy, not a religious one.
For its part, the organized Jewish community mobilized in behalf of Hillel with speakers in favor of the project including representatives of three La Jolla area Synagogues – Congregations Adat Yeshurun, Beth El, and Beth Israel—as well as representatives of the Jewish Federation of San Diego County, the Jewish Community Foundation, various Hillel board members, and a bipartisan pair of present and past elected officials: U.S. Rep. Scott Peters (D-San Diego), and former San Diego City Councilman Jim Madaffer, a Republican.
Madaffer’s wife Robin has served as volunteer legal counsel for Hillel in this multi-year effort and along with Hillel’s executive director, Rabbi David Singer, provided the bulk of the testimony in its behalf.
Written statements following the hearing came by email to San Diego Jewish World.
Councilwoman Bry wrote:
“Today, the City Council voted to approve the construction of the Hillel Center for Jewish Life. I believe that Hillel is a religious organization, and it does meet the legal land use requirements for the site. I was pleased that my amendment to prevent the future expansion of the Hillel facility was accepted, and I am glad that Hillel will be setting up community advisory group to facilitate regular communication between Hillel and the residents of the neighborhood.”
The significance of Hillel being officially a religious organization is that the city permits religious institutions to be built in single family residential areas. In fact, as was pointed out in testimony, both the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and the Lutherans have student centers in similar neighborhoods service UC San Diego students.
Rabbi David Singer, who is executive director of Hillel of San Diego, issued the following summary of the council’s action.
After nearly 20 years of planning and review, the Beverly and Joseph Glickman Hillel Center was approved today by the San Diego City Council. Proposed by Hillel of San Diego ̶ an organization that inspires Jewish college students to make an enduring commitment to Jewish life, learning and Israel ̶ the Glickman Hillel Center will provide a new permanent home for Hillel’s programming, mentorship and religious services.
The City Council voted unanimously to approve the project, and commended Hillel for the changes that have been incorporated into the project in response to community input.
“This is a good project,” said Council President Pro Tem Mark Kersey. “It is a long time coming.”
Located on a vacant 0.8-acre parcel bounded by La Jolla Village Drive, La Jolla Scenic Way and La Jolla Scenic Drive North, the facility will be located directly across the street from UC San Diego. Hillel has been working with the City and the community since 2000 to develop this project. The Glickman Hillel Center will be the convening space for Jewish life on campus, and is the remaining critical piece the organization needs to make sure that all students are welcomed into community and have a platform for developing as leaders.
The new LEED-certified project will total approximately 6,500 square feet and will provide space for religious programs in three separate, one- and two-story buildings around a central outdoor courtyard. The plans include 27 surface parking spaces, bicycle storage, and a small publicly accessible, park-like area with a bicycle and pedestrian path, bench, and water fountain. A thorough environmental review for the facility was conducted, which concluded that there will be no significant environmental impacts that will result from its development.
“We are thrilled with the result of today’s hearing,” said Robert Lapidus, who championed the project for Hillel of San Diego’s Board. “We have spent years designing this new center to both meet Hillel’s needs and benefit the community, and we are confident that the
Glickman Hillel Center will make everyone proud.”La Jolla resident and philanthropist Joseph “Chickie” Glickman, age 102, donated the lead $5 million gift for the Beverly & Joseph Glickman Hillel Center to provide students at UC San Diego with a permanent Jewish home near campus.
“I believe strongly in the mission of Hillel,” said Mr. Glickman. “The guidance Hillel offers our young people is important to help them connect with their heritage and build community at this formative time in their lives.”
“We look forward to breaking ground and moving forward with the project as soon as possible,” said Lapidus.
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Harrison is editor of San Diego Jewish World. He may be contacted via donald.harrison@sdjewishworld.com